Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-07-23
$500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE.
THE TARIFF.

A proprosition is said to be now on
foot TO make an effort to harmonic
in the next Congress, the different
shades of opinion on the tariff ques-
ton which prevail in the democratic
party, with the view Of securing
some legislation looking to the re-
duction of the present ubiquitous war
tariff, of which John Bright, the
great english orator and statesman
said, that no people on earth except
the American people would stand it
without revolution. Conceding,
for the present purpose, that the APP
pr0priations necessitated by the ac-
ton of the last Congress, and made
by the last Congress, were strictly
within the pale of a rigidly economi-
cal administration of our desperately
indebted government, it follows that
the accumulated surplus in the treas
uTy, unless there exists some urgent
necessity for its existence, or some
useful purpose to which it can be APP
piled, exactly represents the amount
10 which the people are overburdened
with unnecessary taxation. Accord
dngly the people demand rudGction
of the public burdens, and unless the
democratic party accedes to This de-
rNNopI 10 Jon,,, l. caolad A. cIroOnc-
ton has been made that the Carlisle
and Watters0n wing Of the party
concede to the Randall wing the re-
peal of tax ON whisky and tobacco
in consideration of the latter agree
ing to a corresponding reduction in
the tariff on imposts. Whisky and
tobacco are luxuries. Many of the
goods upon which impost duties are
laid are necessaries Of life. How
could the Democratic party safely go
before the country upon an issue Of
free whisky and tobacco, and taxed
clothing? And, should the time
ever come around again when there
happens to be any deficiency in the
treasury, either the tax on whisky
and tobacco will have to be reinstat-
ed, or this money wrung from the
hard earnings of the toiling millions
of the people and taken from the
bread and clothing Of the poor. Mr..
Randall has been an obstruction in
the way Of tariff reduction ever since
its necessity became 50 apparent, and
if he persists in attempting, by vir-
4ue of his position, to dictate the rev.
enue policy of the country, or to
make a personal matter out Of one Of
such grave public interest, it is high
time that public men were taught
that he serves his party best who
serves his country best, and if either
the present tariff must stand or Sam
Randall cease to be a member o.
Congress, it is better that Sam Ran
dali should cease to be member O.
Congress, or join his republican
allies. While we are willing to con
cede to Mr.. Randall the obligations
under which the democratic party
have been laid to him in the past
vet, we thinks these obligations have
been more than repaid by the higl
positions to which he has been ell
evated by democratic votes, and full,
cancelled by his persistent use of hi
position as Chairman of the Commit
Of Ways and Means of the House o
Representatives in smuggling bills re
ferred TO that committee for taril
revision, and thus blocking, in def
nnce of the majority Of the repre-
sentatives of the people, all legisla
ton looking to reduction of TIN
tariff. However, if any assured un
Outstanding could be arrived at il
caucus upon bill of the characte
above indicated, formulated by tn
President and Secretary of the Treas
Ury, we should rejoice to see the re
sluction accomplished.